Many network service providers use a dynamic addressing mechanism to periodically change a network address assigned to a connection. Examples include cable television broadband connections and digital subscriber line (DSL) connections. In each case, a user's address may be changed periodically, such as weekly, daily, or in some cases every few hours.
In situations where a user is using a connection primarily as an outgoing connection, such as surfing the Internet or retrieving and sending email, a user may not realize that the network address of their connection may be periodically changed. However, when a user attempts to access a system that is behind a dynamic address connection, the user may use a network address successfully one day, but not be able to use the same address the next day. Further, because a consistent address or domain name may not exist, various security devices, such as Secure Socket Layer certificates, cannot be assigned to the user.